Destiny
by Winged Lady Colette
Summary: Maka and her friends are finally returning to their normal lives after the battle with Asura. When Lord Death gets word of an impending attack and the possible destruction of the world as they know it. The secrets of the weapons and meisters will be revealed when a very old treat arises to face the world once more.
1. The Letter

**Author's Note: So this takes place following the anime. There is no references to the manga at all, I think. *squints into the distance* Anyway. I've wanted to write for a while now. There is some stuff in here that doesn't 100% correspond with the anime either. I want to stay as true to it as I can though. Anyways, this is going to be something new to try out. Let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except maybe the story.**

**Warnings: Nothing much, maybe language.**

**Word Count: 3,611**

Maka is so excited when the mail comes in. Another letter from her mother. Perhaps a letter isn't the correct word. The better word would be postcard. Much like the one with "bravery" written on it. Just a simple postcard with a simple word written on it. This time, it's "love". Maka always enjoys these times. It allows her a moment... just a single moment of peace and connection to the mother she hasn't seen in a very long time. Maka presses the postcard tight to her chest and closes her eyes, feeling the love of her mama. The woman who she aspires to be like and to make very proud.

"Thank you, mama," Maka whispers under her breath, smiling. She finally lowers the card and drops the remaining mail on the table. She walks into her bedroom and over to her desk. Over it is board decorated with pictures of her friends and parents (pre-divorce), along with some of her greater achievements; first perfect score, her assigned partner's name, so on and so forth. Even the postcard she had on her when she battled Asura.

This new postcard gets pinned on the wall, next to a picture, one of the few really good ones, of all her friends. She steps back for a moment to appreciate all of the colors and the controlled chaos. To the untrained eye, it would look like a pallet strewn with pictures, achievements and letters from her mother, but there is a method to Maka's chaotic board, probably the messiest place in her entire room. House even, excluding Soul's room.

But to Maka, it's a story. It tells her life from the moment she began her escapade to being the best, most powerful meister out there, even better than her mom. the woman she admires most, and to create the most powerful death scythe than even that of her own father. Going through all of her most influential achievements; good grades, aced exams, renown soul huntings, power kishin defeated and the amazing people that she befriended along the way. The ones that, even today, she would be nothing without. The people that, no matter all of the achievements that she has, are nothing compared to the wisdom and hope she got from them.

Yes, there was a strength inside Maka that she never knew of, but it wasn't always there. It was a pitiful little thing given to her at birth that has only over time matured and grew in power by the nurturing hand of the people around her. The friends, and even the enemies, that shaped her into the person she is now. Her mama, papa; regardless of her outwardly expressed feelings toward him, Soul Eater Evans, Black Star, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Lord Death, Sid, Fraken Stein, Marie Mjolnir, Justin Law, Azusa Yumi, Mira Nygus, Death the kid, Liz and Patty Thomson, Crona. Even Medusa and Asura and Lady Arachne helped Maka find the type of person she wants to be.

Yeah, it wasn't always fun, nor was it always easy, but nothing about life should be. Not if you want to live to the absolute fullest. At least, that's what Maka believes. At least, that's what Maka has come to believe. Nothing worth fight for, or living for, is going to be. The only way to distinguish something's worth is by what you are willing to sacrifice in order to protect it.

And for those special people in Maka's life, the ones that made big impacts and small, Maka would sacrifice anything and everything to keep them all safe and just by looking at them, she knows they would too.

"Whatcha doin', Maka?"

The blond girl lowers her gaze to see the black cat, Blair, looking up at her, hat nearly falling off by how far up she's looking. She meows happily when Maka scoops her up, looking back at the board, smiling.

Okay, Blair helped Maka too.

"Just taking a moment to appreciate the people I love," Maka answers.

Blair looks at the board blankly, head tilted to the side, then back to Maka. "By looking at this board?"

"Yup," Maka laughs. "A little silly, huh?"

Blair's tail swooshes back and forth behind her, the thin black extremity curling around Maka's right forearm. "Yeah, it is a little weird. It would be better if you went straight out and told the people that you love, that- well- you love them! Meow!" She grins up at the younger girl. Purring when Maka gently runs her fingers over the cat's fur.

"Maybe you're right," Maka says softly, eyes falling half lidded. "Maybe I will. I guess it's important to let those that you love know exactly how you feel about them. Thanks, Blair."

"You're welcome, Maka!" Blair salutes, purring pleased.

Carrying Blair in her arms, Maka makes her way out the door and into the living room, listening to the sounds of the Soul whistling to himself in the kitchen. Occasionally, he would hum out a loose tune. Maka sits down on the couch and smiles to her self before grabbing one of the many books she has strewn about the house, ready and willing to be picked up and read at any given time.

"I think it'll be ready soon," Soul says, sticking his head into the room, looking at Maka and then to Blair, who has already curled up comfortably on her lap. Maka nods to show she heard him and Blair opens her eyes, smiles, and closes them again. Soul disappears back into the kitchen to finish up.

Maka looks over at Soul's back, shifting around the kitchen. Stray strands of white hair lofting up into the air before settling back into their rightful places. He jerks toward something on the stove, letting out a low curse and rushing to pull it off the burner and move over. Then he opens up the oven and peaks inside, laughing jubilantly to himself.

Peaking a single red eye over his shoulder at Maka, he says, "Looks to me like the bread isn't going to be burned this time, Maka." He sounds pleased at this personal victory.

Maka feels the smile work it's way onto her face. "That's good. What about the sauce?"

"Ehh, probably not as lucky."

Maka laughs, shaking her head as Blair rolls her half lidded eyes before they close again. "You're always burning the food, Soul," Maka says with mirth.

Soul pulls the bread out of the oven and sets it down and keeps moving about the kitchen, setting the table. Maka finishes up the page and half of the next one before Soul declares that the food is officially done. Maka lays Blair down on the couch to continue napping and makes her way into the kitchen and sits down. The beginning portion of dinner is met with silence.

The sounds of their forks swirling over their plates, picking up as many noodles as possible. Soul, slurping a mouthful and getting a bit of sauce on his cheek, only to grin charmingly, and wipe it away on a napkin.

"School is going to start up again tomorrow," Maka finally says, breaking the silence.

Soul nods. "Yeah, it'll be weird to go back so suddenly. We've been off for over a month now. With Asura gone, everything is slowly falling back into the usual routine. Which I guess isn't all bad. It could be cool, you know? Normality?"

Maka nods, swallowing the food in her mouth before saying, "It'll be nice to see everyone again." A pause. A few more moments of eating before Maka looks up again. "I got another letter from mama."

"Oh?" Soul says, raising an eyebrow. "What was the picture on this one?"

Maka considers. "Stonehenge, I think."

"Cool. And the word?"

Maka smiles to herself. "Love."

Soul snorts, grinning broadly. "Didn't peg you for being all girly, Maka."

Maka scoffs, giving Soul a look of affectionate annoyance. "It's not girly. Everyone wants love, Soul. And besides, even if it was considered 'girly'." Maka puts the word in air quotes, "it wouldn't matter all that much because contrary to your belief, Soul, I am a girl."

Maka and Soul both stare at each other for a long time. Just staring. Taking each other in for a long drawn out moment. They haven't much gotten to really bond with one another after they returned from the battle. It's mostly been about healing and seeing their friends. Helping rebuild the school and city and waiting for life to finally return to normal. It was all just a matter of time before Soul and Maka finally looked to each other and see the friendship that they've put on hold and the secrets that very few know of.

Maka is a meister.

Maka is also a weapon.

Spirit was unbelievably happy to hear that his daughter was also a weapon. A scythe none the less. Just like her papa. That was just another thing for them to bond over, in Spirit's opinion and he made it well known. Maka does appreciate it. It's nice to know she has her weird papa's undying love and support always at her back but it's also a little scary. As far as Maka knows, she is the only of her kind. She is the only person out there that is both weapon and meister and it's a little scary.

For so long she has been contemplating writing her mother about this, perhaps even urging her to come home. Maka hasn't seen her mother in almost two years. She understands that her mama had to get away from her papa and the divorce settlements. But now Maka needs Kami, and really wants her to come home. So, after dinner she will write a letter back to her mama, and hopes she gets it.

"Are you excited for school?" Maka asks instead, not really wanting to tell Soul about her worries about her mom. What if Kami is upset? What if she is mad that Maka is anything like her papa? Maka shakes the thoughts away before they can get too bad. Too worrisome.

"No," Soul sighs. "School is for nerds. Besides, we defeated Asura, I think that entitles us a little more free time than most of those other guys that did nothing." Soul grins, revealing two rows of pointy white teeth.

Maka gives Soul a look. "Very funny, Soul. I remember that when you are begging me to help you with the homework."

"First off, that could never happen because cool guys like me don't beg and secondly, what makes you think I would ever do homework?"

Maka rolls her eyes, laughing lightly. "You're so weird."

Soul grins. "It's one of my better qualities."

* * *

Maka taps her purple pen against her desk, staring at a blank sheet of paper, contemplating how to do this. Maka blinks a few times slowly, eyes rising to stare out the window in front of her. If her mama gets this and decides to come home, what then? There's no chance of her, Spirit and Kami ever being a family again, especially considering that her papa's womanizing ways hasn't even lessoned in the time that her mama has been away.

The young blond growls in annoyance deep in her throat. Her eyebrow twitches in anger. The grip on her pen turns her knuckles white. She shakes the negative thoughts away and focuses back on the blank sheet of white paper.

She brings the pen back over it, letting the ballpoint hover over the blue lines for a moment, planning how to do this. She has to tell her mama the truth. If Kami comes home, then they can talk through the entire thing together and maybe, just maybe, her mama and papa can at least be civil about everything they've been through. Maybe not for each other, but for Maka.

Maka has no delusions about her parents possibly getting back together. But it would be nice for them to at least be civil with one another and help Maka through this horribly scary ordeal together. As a broken, yet somehow stable family. In a perfect world.

_Dear Mama,_

_I know that you've probably heard about all of the strange stuff going on in the world since you left. Asura, Death City, and so on. But there is something going on, something with me, that I would really love to talk to you about. I know I got Soul and Papa and all of my other friends here, but still, I'm worried. I don't know how to share with them what I'm feeling. I'm not sure I can share how I'm feeling at all because, I don't really understand it myself. The only people who know is Lord Death, Papa, Soul, Black Star, Kid and their weapons._

_You remember them don't you? I sent you a letter back when I first met Death the Kid, Liz and Patty. You didn't write back but that's okay. That's not the reason I'm writing now. The reason I'm writing is because_

Maka stops. Closing her eyes, trying to find the words in her head. Her lips moving, the pen hovering, just trying to find the most accurate way to explain her feelings. What exactly does she think is going to happen because of this letter? Probably to get her mother back home. Back to Maka. And Spirit too, if he was good. Bringing the pen back over the place she left off.

_The reason I'm writing is because I'm confused. And that's not something that happens to me too often. When it does, there's usually someone I can go to that can explain everything, Mama. I mean, there is now. I have a lot of people I can turn to if I need it, but, I really want to see you. This has nothing to do with Papa, he's trying his best and he's being good- for the most part._

_I think it a part of it comes down to, I miss you, Mama. And another part is that, this is something between you and papa. And me, I guess._

_Mama, as far as anyone has told me, I'm the only one like this. I'm the only one who is a meister and a weapon. Yes, mama, I turned into a weapon, partially, during the battle against Asura. I'm not sure how and have been going out of my way to avoid it. Not many people know about it, but Lord Death promised to look into it. Same with Professor Stein._

_As for how I am? I'm okay. A little excited to get back to school and back to normality. As strange as everything has been, I'm glad to return to something as monotonous as school. Soul seems to be dreading it though. But that's fine. He was never much for school anyway. A lot of stuff has happened since I last wrote you. I would like to say that I enjoy the postcards I get from you._

_I know you must be very busy doing whatever it is that you're doing out there, but I could really use you back home right now. Even if you don't come back, a letter or something with some wisdom will probably be enough, I guess. Either way, I hope to see or hear from you soon._

_I love you, mama._

_Maka Albarn._

Maka pulls back, looking thoughtfully at the paper, wondering if it sounds too desperate. Wondering if _she _is desperate. At this point, she's just a little numb. She's been doing all she can to keep it from her mind. If she doesn't think about it, if she doesn't talk about it. Then she's just like the Maka before. She's the same girl that has been Soul's partner for a long time. And she's the same girl that her mama and papa raised.

Maka neatly folds the paper. She leans back in her chair and stares out the window at the darkened sky. Her green eyes slide closed and she lets out a whoosh of breath. A part of her really hopes to be able to see her mama again.

"All done," Maka murmurs, standing up. She stretches, her arms high over her head, pops follow her spine down her back. She clicks the light off and heads over to the bed. Once she is under the covers, her eyes find her board in the moonlight over her desk. The lament over the postcard glistens in the light.

Maka turns away to face the wall and closes her eyes. Hoping to get some sleep before school starts up again tomorrow.

* * *

Lord Death stares at his own reflection in the mirror. Shifting back and forth slightly. Turning slightly at the sound of approaching footsteps behind him. His body, which was like swiss-cheese just weeks ago, is now fully repaired. No signs of any of his wounds anywhere. Almost like nothing happened. Like he wasn't hurt during the battle with Asura. Even the Death room is completely repaired.

"Lord Death," Stein says.

The grim reaper turns around, tilting his head to look at Stein. He moves a little bit closer to the steps, the gray haired man standing at the bottom, waving his hand at the man. "Hello there, Stein! How are you doing? It's late, dontcha know?"

The light reflects off his glasses. "I know, Lord Death. I actually wanted to talk to you about tomorrow."

The white gloved hand disappears into the blackness once more. Lord Death stares down at Stein with a confused look. "What do you want to talk about specifically?"

The glint on Stein's glasses vanishes when he shifts to look up at the grim reaper with half lidded eyes. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I mean Maka Albarn. The girl who is both meister and weapon. Have you given any thought as to what we are going to do about this?"

Lord Death rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I was considering letting her choose her own path. She's spent so long being a meister. I'm sure she has no interest being a weapon now. So, Stein, really there is nothing to _do _about her or this. It is Maka's choice on what she wants to do. If she wishes to continue being a meister, there is no one that is going to stop her. If she decides that she wants to be a weapon, well, we will help her with the transition however we can."

Stein sighs. "Are you not even intrigued at how it's even possible?"

"Sure," Lord Death shrugs. "A child born of a weapon and meister isn't uncommon. Perhaps each one has always had the potential to be both but one always came easier to them. That's genetics and not my field of work, Stein. Perhaps there is some explanation for this, maybe there isn't. Ultimately there is no way of knowing unless you can get Maka to let you check her blood, or if you can find someone else with the same circumstances. Maka and the rest of them have been through a lot, with the war against Lady Arachne and then the show down with Asura. She probably wants some time to adjust and I don't blame her."

"I get it," Stein says, twisting the screw on his head until it clicks into place. "I just don't get how it's possible. To be a weapon or a meister is something passed on by one or both of the parents. If both parents are meisters, one is a gun meister and one is a sword meister which ever gene the child got, the would be the meister for one of those weapons. Or in rare cases, some kind of combination of the two weapons or something else entirely."

He pauses, scratching his messy hair. "But, if a child is born of a weapon and meister one of them is going to be dominant, not both of them. That's unheard of. And quite fascinating if I do say so myself." His voice takes on that tone. That interested tone and those half lidded eyes. His mind already racing with possible ideas and theories as to what happened inside of Maka.

Lord Death turns away, making his way over to the mirror once more, staring at his reflection. After a few minutes of silence, Stein finally turns away and leaves. There is a long winded silence that ensues. Lord Death just stares at his reflection in silence, mind trailing to so many different place. No real coherent thoughts, just a jumbled mess.

Lord Death is pulled from his thoughts by something dark and powerful coming up behind him slowly. Something that he recognizes very well, something he would be able to pick out of thin air. Some_one _he would be able to pick out of a crowd. It creeps around him, cradling him like a little baby. It's tendrils wrapping around him, loving and familiar.

The shinigami turns around slowly, mask blank. "Hello, mother."


	2. Resonate

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except maybe the story.**

**Warnings: Nothing much, maybe language.**

**Word Count:4,679**

Maka's alarm chimes loudly in her ear, pulling her from a dreamless sleep. She sits up slowly and rubs her eyes, roughly. She stretches her arms over her head and lets out a sigh of relief as the tension leaves her body. Her hands slap against the comforter as she finally pulls away from the last tendrils of slumber and climbs to her feet to start her day. She showers, cooks breakfast, changes into her clothes and glances into Soul's room to make sure he's up-he wasn't.

"Wake up, Soul, we've got school today!" Maka yells through the door, heading back to the kitchen and sitting down in front of her plate of eggs. Picking up the book that she left sitting there, she munches on some toast. Soul stumbles in, looking more drunk than half asleep. Maka smiles behind her book when Soul bumps his knee on the table, jolting it slightly. Soul curses lightly under his breath.

Maka's glass of orange juice sloshes around, but doesn't escape the glass. Soul chews sleepily on his toast, eyes half closed.

"What are you reading right now?" Soul asks, blinking his eyes a few times. He finally opens his eyes completely and looks at Maka.

"An autobiography," Maka says, distracted, moving her eggs around with her fork.

Soul watches the movements for a moment before rolling his eyes, mumbling something along the lines of, "typical Maka" under his breath. The blond girls smiles at that. Glad for the normality and hoping that this was a sign that the day would be a good one. The two ate their breakfast in silence. Maka cleans the dishes while Soul goes to change.

Maka drops the letter to her mother off at the mailbox before heading to school. People are running around greeting everyone after the month away. It's nice. Maka and Soul both get many greetings by their classmates. Maka knows that they are whispering behind her back. They know she was one of the three partnered teams that faced off against Asura.

Maka interlaces her fingers behind her back. Soul stuffs his hands into his pockets. The two make their way inside and to their classrooms, being polite and respectful to everyone on their way. Or at least Maka is. Soul just keeps trying to act cool. Maka just rolls her eyes at his actions but doesn't comment, knowing that he needs to boost his ego since the battle.

That battle showed Maka and Soul that there is still a lot more they have to learn before they can be considered the best weapon and meister pair in the school. They get to their classroom and make their way to their usual seats. Black Star and Tsubaki are already there.

"Hi Maka, Soul," Tsubaki says, smiling sweetly. "Good morning."

"'Morning, Tsubaki. How are you?" Maka asks, sitting down next to her.

"I'm good, thank you. And you, Soul?"

Soul falls back onto the seat next to Maka, leaning back comfortably on the wooden benches. "I'm cool, as always. Yo, Black Star, have you been training on the time off?"

Black Star, sitting on Tsubaki's left staring off into space, turns slowly to look at Soul. The teal haired boy's face scrunched up strangely.

Soul raises an eyebrow. "Dude, what the hell is wrong with your face?"

"Nothing," Black Star says in mock calm. "I'm just trying to see if you are the real Soul or not. Because the real Soul wouldn't ask such an obviously stupid question."

Soul's face drops into a bland look. "Look, Black Star, sorry I ask-"

"Of _course _Tsubaki and I did some training over the break. Who do you take me for? I'm going to be the one that's going to surpass God, after all! A tough guy like me can't afford to take breaks whenever he wants! I'm not lazy like you, Soul!" With that, Black Star throws back his head and cackles. Soul Eater rolls his eyes and huffs unceremoniously.

"Moron."

Black Star throws his head back and laughs, loudly and as a strange way to assert dominance. Almost as if to prove something to their classmates like, "Look! We aren't actually all pretentious bastards even though he fought Asura and lived!"

Even though it doesn't come out that way, unfortunately. All it really does is get all of the other students in the room to stare at them, unblinking and unmoving. All of them just froze up, staring at Maka and her friends, more specifically, Black Star, who at this point if he doesn't stop laughing, won't have any friends as far as Maka is concerned.

"Jeez Black Star, will you shut up? You're making a scene, again," Soul says, scratching his head and giving the still laughing teal haired boy a dry look. Finally the boy quiets down, lowering himself to sit next to Tsubaki. His legs prop up on the desk and he closes his eyes, a smug look on his face. Tsubaki laughs with a mixture of affection and annoyance.

"Sorry about Black Star," she apologizing for the young man. She waves her hand idly, eyebrows pulled together slightly.

Maka looks over at Soul with a bland look. "I feel so bad for Tsubaki. I know I've said this before but I just feel bad for her always having to deal with Black Star the way she does. I wouldn't be able to do it."

Soul gives her a sideways glance, the corner of his lips tilting upward. "Somebody has to. Glad it's not me."

Maka nods, pulling out another book to read. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey guys," Death the Kid says walking up towards them, hands stuffed into his pockets, Liz and Patty following after him. Maka, Soul, Tsubaki and Black Star all scoot further down the bench to open enough space for them to occupy. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much, Kid, Black Star being Black Star," Soul says, shrugging. Then, as an after thought, he turns to the young grim reaper. "How's Lord Death doing? Healed from all his injuries, right?"

Kid nods. "Yeah, he's fine now. Most of the damage done to the city while it was moving has been rectified." He straightens out his coat smoothly, erasing any imaginary wrinkles that he might be hallucinating is there.

Soul just rolls his eyes at the typical Kid behavior. They go through the class like they would any other. The students are buzzing about being back in school and about Maka and the rest of her little group of friends. The teachers have to keep telling the kids to settle down and pay attention. Professor Stein is as eccentric as he's always been, and then the last twenty minutes comes around and Stein stares up at the class, leaning heavily on the back of his chair.

The class stares back in silence, this is one of the few times that Stein shows his most stoic side, just staring at all of them so intensely that they all fall silent and stare back. Maka's eyes lower to the book on her desk, contemplating reading it in the silence, but ultimately deciding that she would get reprimanded for it by Professor Stein and would rather not deal with it. Her eyes rise again to see Stein staring at her.

"Maka," Stein finally says, his voice loud in the quiet room. For some reason, Maka jumps, surprised to hear her name. She stands up formally.

"Yes, Professor Stein?"

His head tilts down slightly, a gleam on his glasses hiding his eyes. "Your partner, Soul, along with Black Star, Tsubaki, Death the Kid and the Thompson sisters need to stay behind after class is over. There is something we have to discuss. The rest of the class period is yours, everyone. Use it to study or something." And with that he rolls our of the room, but not of course, without it tipping over just past the threshold into the hall, as has become customary for the man with the giant screw going through his head.

Some heads turn to look at the people in question but no one comes right out and speaks to them. Maka slowly lowers herself back down next to Soul and turns to look at him.

"What do you think he wants?" Maka asks her weapon.

The white hared boy shrugs, red eyes narrowed. "Who knows? I figured we'd be singled out eventually for beating Asura, I'm just surprised it took this long." He shrugs, leaning back in his seat. "Who cares? It's useless to just sit around and wonder, we'll just find out in a bit. Relax."

Maka pouts at him and grabs her book to read.

Tsubaki sits in silence for a moment or two before turning to Black Star. "What do you think?"

Black Star gives her his usual cocky look that has become part of his personality. "What do you think he wants to talk about, Tsubaki? Definitely how big of a star I was during that whole Asura and madness thing. I did make myself out to be a pretty big star, wouldn't you say?"

The long black haired girl laughs softly, nodding. "Yeah. You certainly did."

Liz, who was twist a piece of hair around her pointer finger, listening to Patty babble senselessly and color, finally perks up. She looks around the room for a minute before turning to Kid with a quizzical look on her face. "Hey, Kid, do you know where Crona is?"

Kid blinks a few times before looking around the room as well. Two perfectly manicured black eyebrows pull together in confusion before he shrugs to Liz and looks over at the rest of the group. "Does anyone know where Crona is?"

The group looks around, trying to find the purple haired boy... err... girl... er boy... Maka makes a mental note to ask Crona exactly what... his or her gender is. This game was kinda fun before but now it's just inconvenient.

"Where is Crona?" Maka asks. "I haven't seen... him since... since Soul and I convinced... Crona to come live with us."

"Perhaps Marie knows," Kid says.

Maka nods briskly, setting her book down. "You're right. If anyone knows where Crona is, it would probably be Miss Marie." She makes another mental note to herself to go and see Miss Marie and ask about Crona, but it also makes her feel bad. Crona is her friend and she barely recognized that the purple haired meister wasn't here, which is bad. Like really bad. She'll have to make it up to Crona. Somehow.

"Last I hear, Crona was still realing from Medusa's death," Tsubaki says. "And that was just a week ago, I think. When I saw her in passing. I didn't really get time to really sit down and chat."

"It's alright, Tsubaki," Soul says, "we've all be busy since getting home."

Maka nods, but doesn't really think that's true. She did dedicate the last month to healing and looking out for her friends, but when she went to see Crona at her.. his room at the academy, Crona wasn't there or wasn't answering. A few more times after that and Crona just insisted that she or he wanted to be alone. Maybe Crona really was still upset about Medusa dying.

Maka, Soul and Crona all sat down after the battle with Asura and Medusa's death. The weapon and meister managed to convince the purple haired meister to come live with them and she... he agreed but only on the condition that Crona have some time to morn for Medusa because "even thought she was no good to me, she was still all I knew" and they agreed. Maka hasn't spoken to Crona really since then.

Maka has been so focused on herself since the battle with Asura that she neglected to focus on other people as much. It's not something that she's proud of, but it's what happened. It's not a good excuse and the petite blond knows that. She knows that it only makes it worse, if anything. Maka can't take it back now, though. All she can do is somehow try to make it up to her friends, focus on them for a while. Maybe they should throw a party at her and Soul's apartment. Invite everyone over and plays some games, anything to make it about them and not herself. She'll have to really think about it.

Making up her mind, she turns to Soul. "How does a party sound this weekend? Just a little get together for us and the our friends?"

Soul looks at her for a moment, staring into her green eyes with his red ones. Thy unnerving connection that weapon and meister have isn't something that is to be taken lightly because it runs deep. Soul was the first person that has ever really touched Maka's soul. They became partners and built a powerful connection with one another. Maka knows Soul's soul inside and out and the same thing for Soul.

In those moments, it's like their thoughts become one. And in a moment, Soul knows that all of them need this. Especially Maka. And that's okay with him. Soul grins at her. "Sounds like a cool idea. And I'm a cool guy who likes cool ideas."

Maka grins back at him. "Good."

Once class is over, all the students make their way out of the room, excluding Maka and her friends. They sit around for another ten minutes after school is over before Stein returns with Sid and Nygus make their way into the room. Soul sits up a little more attentively when the group of teachers make their way toward the center of the room.

"Maka," Sid calls. The blond stands again at attention. "We need to ask you one single question and that will decide what we do from here onward."

Maka nods, hands clenching at her side. She swallows nervously, suddenly feeling a little worried. The looks on her Professors' faces are stoic but stern at the same time. Nygus' kind blue eyes crinkle a little to show her smiling at the younger girl.

"Don't try to think too hard, Maka. There is no right or wrong answer. We just need you to be completely honest, not what you think we want to hear, okay?"

Maka nods. "Yes, Miss Nygus."

Stein stands up from his chair to look up at the blond with a completely serious face. "Maka, what do you want to do about the weapon half of your blood?"

Maka has been waiting anxious for someone to ask her that question since she found out that she has the ability to transform and yet now that she hears it, she dreads it a lot more than she did before. Her shoulders pull together slightly and her head lowers a little, almost shrinking under the heavy gazes of her teachers and friends.

"Um, I... I don't really know."

"It's simple," Stein says, reaching up to turn the screw in his head. Maka's eyes follow the motion. "Do you want to explore the weapon side of yourself or would you rather have nothing to do with it?"

Maka stares at his twisting hand for a few moments, trying to decide what she wants. On one hand; being a meister is all she's ever known. Her mom was a meister and she vowed to make Soul a more powerful Death Scythe than her own mother and she can't break that promise. It's one of the few things that has been keeping her going since her mom left. Soul is her partner and she swore to him and to herself that she would do her best.

On the other hand though; this is the chance to experience an entirely different world. The world where she has to fully relinquish control to a meister. To work her absolute hardest to protect someone. She's always done her best to try and protect Soul even though he was the weapon and she was the meister, perhaps that explains it. It's instinct for a weapon to want to protect his or her meister. Maka would also like to believe her bond with Soul also attributed to her desire to protect him but she has no way of knowing.

Maka doesn't know if she can be content with doing nothing about this other, unexplored part of herself. If she says no to exploring this other side, then she may live to regret it. What if one of her friends are in need of her weapon side and she has no idea on how to utilize it.

With that thought flashing through her mind, Maka knew the answer. She looks into Professor Stein's green eyes, hers reflecting her own determination. She can see the flicker of recognition go through those lazy orbs and his lips start to quirk before she even opens her mouth to speak.

"I want to explore this other part of myself, Professors," she says. "But only," she adds immediately, turning to her white haired partner, "if Soul is okay with it."

The red eyed boy blinks a few times at being brought into the conversation, thinking about what was said before grinning broadly. "I think it'll be cool. Let's see what you can do, eh Maka?"

A little tinge of pink covers her cheeks and she nods. "Yep!"

"Good," Sid says. "Now, all of you, come with us, we have some experimental training that we want to invest in."

Anticipation thick within the young group and weapons and meisters, they follow after the three teachers out of the classroom and out of the school. None of them disclosing where they are going or what kind of experimental training they will be getting but Maka has a feeling that it'll have something with her ability to transform into a scythe which doesn't make much sense. Of her friends, she is the only scythe meister. Kid could probably do it too, since he's a grim reaper but other than that, what would they need Patty, Liz, Soul, Tsubaki and Black Star?

The Professors lead them to the same training area where Maka, Kid and Black Star along with their weapons learned to resonate as a group. When they get there, they are in for a surprise to see that they already have someone waiting for them.

"Crona!" Maka calls, walking past everyone to get to the timid purple haired meister standing in the middle of the break of the trees. Right hand holding the opposite elbow, waiting for them in silence.

Crona turns at the sound of her name. Smiling when Maka gets close. "Hi, Maka. I knew you would say yes."

Maka blinks in surprise. "You knew about the Professor's asking me about my weapon abilities?"

Crona smiles timidly. "Yeah. Sorry, I've been so preoccupied helping out Professor Stein that I haven't been able to move in yet. I... I hope the offer still stands."

"Sure it does," Soul says walking up next to Maka.

"Yes," Stein says, standing next to the short purple haired meister. "Crona was nice enough to help me through some of my theories. As was Nygus and Sid. See, I've done a lot of thinking about weapons and meisters and how we chose a partnering system. And I may have just come up with a simple yet effective way to help out future weapons and meisters when placed into positions were their designated partners are out of commission but they have other comrades around."

"What do you mean, Professor Stein?" Kid asks, Liz and Patty on either side of him.

"Well, I was thinking that we usually partner a single weapon with a single meister and then Lord Death mentioned that Kid is a lot more powerful meister because he has two weapons instead of just one, not just because he's a reaper. Then I began to think about Killik and the Fire and Thunder twins, how in his group he is the more superior in strength."

Liz raises an eyebrow. "I don't understand. So now all meisters are going to have two weapons?"

Stein shakes his head. "No, there are far too few of weapons to be able to utilize that. But the theory still applies, being able to have more access to other weapons with improve the success rate of the mission."

"For example," Sid says, "Professor stein is in a battle against an opponent with Marie and Nygus. Then something incapacitates Marie and now, only Nygus is the only viable weapon and Stein needs to utilize her power. Because Stein is capable of utilizing almost ever single weapon because he is able to easily match soul wavelength, this isn't as impressive, but if other meisters were capable of picking up with other weapons and able to use them in battle like Stein can, it would start to minimize deaths and ensure that every weapon has a partner."

Stein nods, pushing up his glasses. "But with that said, not ever meister will be able to utilize every weapon, that is why we are here. So, we can test this theory."

"The seven of you resonate very powerfully, now we want to see if we can add Crona and Ragnarok to the mix," Stein says. "It'll be a little different since Ragnarok has a powerful demon resonance, but let's see how it is. Whether or not this works, it doesn't affect the other part of the test, but if you can resonate with two more members, then this group will be able to resonate more powerfully than any of the other groups by a long shot."

"Then we'll be the biggest, most powerful group. Naturally since a big man like me is here to help the rest of your guys' dinky little glows. Let's do this!" Black Star says, pumped. His eyes blazing with determination. Maka and Kid both nod in agreement. "Tsubaki."

The black haired girl nods. "Right." She transforms.

"Soul."

The white haired boy smirks, transforming as well.

"Patty, Liz." Kid holds out both hands for them to transform to.

"Right," says Liz.

"Got it, Kid," Patty giggles.

The four young meisters stand in a circle staring at each other. The three teachers stand back to watch. Crona holds out a hand and Ragnarok appears. Crona watches mutely as Maka, Kid and Black Star all close their eyes.

"Concentrate, Crona!" Ragnarok snaps and dark eyes squeeze shut with a breathy, "Sorry."

Their souls appear around their bodies. Maka connects with Kid and Black Star easily and then moves to Crona when they connect it forces the other three meisters back, nearly knocking Kid and Maka, closest to Crona to fall to the floor. Crona's soul is small and timid but strong and Ragnarok is pure power easily able to envelope theirs.

"Dial it back, Crona," Kid says. "You too, Ragnarok, this is the hardest part."

Crona nods shakily, squeezing Ragnarok's handle tightly. "Yeah, okay, I'll try."

"Remember what I told you, Ragnarok," Stein says. "Your soul may be too powerful for them if you unleash it all at once. Try to match the wavelength that Maka is putting out there. Crona is trying but you're the stronger of the two."

"Right, right. If only these guys weren't so timid, this would be easier," Ragnarok says.

Ignoring the demon sword, Maka looks between Kid and Black Star. "Are you guys ready?" The two nod and close their eyes again. "Alright, let's do this."

Kid, Black Star and Maka connect again, and then they reach out for Crona and they almost fall over again but then the power is pulled back and matches the wavelength with an intense level of control on Ragnarok's part. It wobbles around a little before dispersing again.

"It was Crona that time," Ragnarok says. "Get it together!"

Crona nods briskly. "I'm sorry. One more time, I swear!"

"It's okay, just relax," Black Star says softly. Probably the softest Maka has ever heard him speak. When she cracks her eye open to look at him, his eyes are still closed and he looks focused.

"Let's go, Maka," Kid says, giving her a knowing look. She nods and closes her eyes again.

"This is it," Soul says. "Go, Maka."

Maka reaches out for Black Star and Kid, connecting and then to Crona, connecting with Ragnarok and immediately following, Crona. It's a little shaky and for a moment, strange. So much more power filtering between them. Two more minds. One filled with great malice and the other with great sadness. Maka almost falls over just from the two dark emotions filling the resonance.

Then, Crona says softly, "Sorry," and the resonance is filled with hope, happiness, still a bit bitter with malice but a lot easier to bare. She can feel Kid's relief at the sudden draw back of negative emotions and Black Star's trouble over it almost as clearly as she can Crona's affection for them. For Maka, Soul, Kid, Liz, Patty, Black Star and Tsubaki. Crona's friends.

And then Maka could hear Black Star's thought, "Hey, Crona?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

"Is now really the time, Black Star?" Kid asks.

"Isn't it obvious?" Tsubaki asks.

"No, do you know, Tsubaki?" Liz asks.

Kid snorts. "It's easy. Like Tsubaki said, 'obvious'."

Soul grunts. "Perhaps to a grim reaper, but what about the rest of us?"

"Tsubaki knows," Kid retorts.

Maka almost laughs aloud at the flood of embarrassment coming from Crona.

"Does it matter?" Crona asks, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Yes," Ragnarok and Black Star both say.

Crona doesn't respond, just filling the bond with more and more embarrassment. Not at all sure how to handle this and Maka laughs at her own thoughts. "So, Kid, you know?"

"Yes, Maka."

"Well?"

Kid sighs. "Do you mind, Crona?"

Still extremely embarrassed, Crona says, "No. Go ahead. I just don't know how it matters..."

"Let's see if I can say this in a way you will all be able to understand, especially you, Black Star." The mentioned meister mutters something along the lines of an anal retentive reaper that Kid ignores. "Crona's mother is Medusa and Medusa is a witch. Witches are known to have a hard time conceiving babies, but each baby they've had is like them. Now with that in mind, there is no such thing as a wizard or warlock."

Maka can feel Black Star's confusion, almost as tangible as Souls.

"Basically," Tsubaki says, "All witches are capable of having are girls."

"Yes," Kid says, annoyed. "Therefore Crona is a girl. The daughter of a witch."

Excitement floods the bond. "No way!" Black Star says. "You're a girl? Does that mean you're a witch?"

"No. I don't have any magic..." Crona says. "Witches can only have daughters but not all of them are capable of being witches. I am one of those."

Maka laughs aloud, pulling them all away from their mental connection. All the meisters open their eyes and stare at one another. Looking at the powerful white wavelength that's almost twice the size of the one that Maka, Kid and Black Star along with their weapons could make on their own.


End file.
